How to Manage Lactose Intolerance

Hint: Avoiding dairy is no longer your only option to manage lactose intolerance! Digestive enzyme supplements can help you enjoy extra cheese pizza, double scoops of double chocolate, gooey fondue or whatever dairy food you crave. 

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose; lactase deficiency is the shortage of that enzyme. Lactase is the digestive enzyme that breaks down lactose, the sugar found in dairy. More than 50 million Americans have the genetic condition of lactose intolerance, which can range from mild to severe. 

Lactose intolerance symptoms and lactase deficiency symptoms include gas, bloating and discomfort (including occasional diarrhea) after eating foods that contain dairy.* Here’s how to manage lactose intolerance: 

While avoiding dairy is an option, it’s not the only one – especially if you do enjoy eating foods that contain butter, milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.

  • Start by talking to your health-care provider if you suspect you have lactose intolerance. 
  • Know where dairy is hiding in foods. This blog shares 25 places where you might not expect to find dairy. 
  • Keep track of which foods trigger your lactose intolerance. The amount of lactose varies in dairy foods, so you might find you can tolerate some more than others. Butter and aged hard cheeses like Parmesan contain zero lactose, while soft or “young” cheeses, ice cream and milk will contain more. 
  • You might be able to tolerate small amounts of a food/beverage that contains lactose, such as whipped cream on pie or milk in coffee (but not a whole cup of milk). 
  • Do what’s right for you! If you want to put oat milk in your coffee, swap cashews for cream in your Bechamel sauce but eat real mozzarella on your pizza, that’s OK. 
  • Even if you’re not vegan, you might want to explore the plant-based (non)dairy aisle of the supermarket. There are plenty of delicious options out there — from melty cheese substitutes to creamy milks that foam for lattes.
  • Lactase enzyme supplements can help you enjoy the dairy foods you love. Enzymedica offers two different versions, depending on the level of support you want. 
  • DairyAssist® breaks down dairy sugar and protein.* It can be taken daily with each meal to enjoy ice cream and cheese – to reduce occasional gas and bloating.* It contains dual-action, dairy intolerance enzymes that quickly break down both lactose (dairy sugar) and casein (dairy protein).*
  • Want extra support?* We also offer Lacto® — maximum-strength dairy intolerance enzymes to break down dairy-heavy meals.* It is packed with the enzymes lactase and protease to help break down problem-causing lactose and casein (dairy protein), providing the ultimate support for dairy intolerances.* 
  • Keep one or both on hand for those times you want to eat the dairy you love (that doesn't love you back).